The Informer
Regular Prisoners * Colonel Hogan - Bob Crane * Corporal Louis LeBeau - Robert Clary * Corporal Peter Newkirk - Richard Dawson * Sergeant James Kinchloe - Ivan Dixon * Sergeant Vladimir Minsk - Leonid Kinskey Camp Personnel * Kommandant Wilhelm Klink - Werner Klemperer * Sergeant Hans Schultz - John Banner Semi-Regulars * Fraulein Helga - Cynthia Lynn * General Albert Burkhalter - Leon Askin * Corporal Karl Langenscheidt - Jon Cedar Guest Stars * Lieutenant Andrew Carter - Larry Hovis * Sergeant Olsen - Stewart Moss * Wagner - Noam Pitlik * Oscar Schnitzer - Walter Janowitz * Sergeant Riley - Richard Sinatra Synopsis Lieutenant Andrew Carter, who has earlier escaped from another prison camp, arrives at the camp, soon exchanging places with Sergeant Olsen during a roll call after the later had left the camp during some confusion that was created by Corporal Peter Newkirk's fake fainting spell. He is then introduced to Colonel Hogan, the camp's senior POW, who is also the leader of an anti-Nazi organization that specializes in sabotage and escapes. Carter is then introduced to the other members of the group, as well as informed that he would be sent back to England at the first opportunity. After another roll call, Colonel Hogan is called into the Kommandant's office and is quickly informed by Colonel Klink, who runs the camp, that a new prisoner was being brought into the camp and would eventually be placed in his barracks. It is soon discovered by the other prisoners that the new prisoner is in actuality a German spy named Wagner, who has been sent to discover if the prisoners were planning any escapes. This is discovered when he is asked a number of questions about his old unit by Hogan after Hogan had gained the new prisoner's confidence. The new prisoner fails to give the Colonel the correct answers to any of his questions, especially one on an nonexistant rapscallion. These pieces of information are quickly used by the prisoners' to their own advantage as they decide to outwit the spy by giving him some disinformation to take back to his superiors. The prisoners' disinformation plan is quickly put into operation by having Hogan give Wagner a grand tour of their operation and he quickly convinces him of the organization's existance: the tour includes showing Wagner the factory and the steam room, and having him see Fraulein Helga giving manicures to the prisoners inside of one of the tunnels, although the plan is almost blown by Carter. After the tour had ended, Hogan and the other prisoners waited to see how quickly Wagner would tell Klink about what they'd just shown him, while they put the second half of their plan into operation; to discredit Wagner by covering up the evidence. Wagner soon appears in Klink's office, telling both Klink and a visiting Colonel Burkhalter about the prisoners being able to listen in on Klink's office conversation via a coffee pot in Barracks 2, the prisoners making cigarette lighters which were shaped to look like Lugers which were then sold in Paris to German officers, making clothing to help people escape, Helga giving prisoners manicures and that their main escape tunnel was placed under the camp's water tank. But, when he tries to prove his allegations, Helga denies giving the prisoners manicures, the coffee pot is found filled with coffee, neither the Lugers-shaped lighters or the uniforms and other clothings can be found in Barracks 2 and when he pulls down the cord which he claims would open up the entrance to the main escape tunnel, he instead douses water onto a soon wet and angry Burkhalter. Wagner is thus discredited and is ordered taken away to be punished, all the while shouting his innocence. While this was going on, Carter slips out of the camp, and joins up with an underground group that would help him get back to England to rejoin his bomber group. Story Notes * This is the pilot episode of the series. * The episode was done in black-and-white. * The camp was referred to as Camp 13, not Stalag 13. * The year is set as 1942. This is the only time a year is actually mentioned in the series. * Kinchloe's uniform in the pilot is different from his series' uniform. * When the prisoners line up (during various times in the episode), their uniforms presents a greater range of nationalities involved on the Allies side of the war. During the regular series, the men in Hogan's barracks all have the uniform appearance of being Americans. * The tree tunnel entrance appeared for the first time. * The tunnels under the camp are shown for the first time. * The rising bed entrance from Barracks 2 into the tunnel appeared for the first time. * The coffee pot listening device appeared for the first time. * What Hogan's organization does is explained during the episode. * Carter started out as a Lieutenant. In his next appearence he is demoted to Sergeant. * Carter also does his first impersonation as Adolf Hitler. * Unlike he would be protrayed in the series, Klink is not shown as a buffoon, but as a stern officer. * Helga appears in the tunnels with the prisoners for one scene, acting as the prisoners' manicurist. This never occurs again after the series is picked up. * Burkhalter's rank in the episode is that of a Colonel. * This is Sergeant Minsk's only series appearance. Leonid Kinskey, who played Sergeant Minsk, stated that he was offered a regular part in the series after the pilot was sold, but that he turned it down, as he could not be associated with a series that portrayed Nazis in such a light way. * During the first episodes, the setting of Klink's office is in flux as the bulletin board behind him appears and disappears from episode to episode. For the pilot episode, there is a bulletin board. * Robert Butler, the episode's director, specialized in directing TV show pilot episodes. Among the many, shows he directed the pilots/initial episodes of includes Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Remington Steele, Moonlighting, etc.--he also directed the first 'failed' pilot of Star Trek, "The Cage". The fact that Feldman and Ruddy hired someone who was essentially a dramatic director to helm their pilot was perhaps an effort to keep things FAIRLY realistic in the beginning of the series. Quotes Early in the episode: * Colonel Hogan: (to Newkirk) Pass the word around, football game is off. * Vladimir: Oh no, Colonel, I was supposed to play full back today. * Hogan: Fullback? Now I know we've got to get the game canceled. ------------- As Helga was talking to Colonel Hogan before he goes to see Colonel Klink: * Helga: Oh, I have not had nylons in months. * Hogan: I understand there's a war on. ------------- Upon seeing that Hogan and his men in Barracks 2 are up to something: * Schultz: I see nothing! ------------- While Hogan was showing Wagner the setup of the prisoners' organization: * Hogan: I'll be at the communications center. * Wagner: You mean there's more? * Hogan: Keeps us off the streets. ------------- Wagner, who is revealing himself to be a spy to Klink and Colonel Burkhalter and telling them about Hogan's secret organization under the camp: * Wagner: There is a man here who does not belong here, who has escaped in! ------------- Wagner, screaming insanely in German, as he's being taken away by some of the camp guards: * Wagner: You've got to believe me!! Bloopers * Leonid Kinskey is not credited as a guest star because he is listed in the opening credits/montage as a regular cast member. * The weapons that are used by the camp's guards in the series are actually Thompsons and not the MP40s that would've been used by the Luftwaffe camp guards during the war. External links * Hogan's Heroes Fanclub * Webstalag 13 * The Hofbrau * TV.com Television stories Category:Season One